Witness
by Priestess Skye
Summary: He's trying to settle an old vendetta, she provides a new angle in doing so. INUKAG alternate universe
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Inuyasha et al. do not belong to me, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Author's Notes: This fic was written for KagomeHig715 for her birthday. Happy Birthday! I apologize for this being late, thought I could do it sooner.

This is only the first post, there is more to this story coming in the next few days. The characters are OOC, I tried to make Inuyasha gruffer, but it just wasn't working with the story. However, the fact that it's an alternative universe helps compensate for this, as Inuyasha has grown up with different circumstances than he did in canon, and therefore would act a bit differently as well.

On with the show…

Witness

By Priestess Skye

She sat in the empty room, twisting the napkin in her hands to shreds. One of the other officers had handed it to her sometime ago before sitting her in the room. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic after spending time in the dreary room alone. She looked toward the mirror on the one wall and knew somebody was watching her. She didn't care, they could watch her all they want, they weren't going to see anything until they sent somebody in to talk to her. As to why they needed somebody else to talk to her, she didn't know as she had already given her statement to three different officers. To Kagome, it just seemed like they were dragging out the process even longer, especially when she could be getting home and packing her belongings so she could get out of town, and quickly.

After a few more minutes of silence, she finally stopped and looked at the shreds of napkin on the wooden table in front of her. She sighed as she placed what was left of the napkin on the table next to the shreds, and lay her forehead against the cool wood. Each moment that passed seemed to grow agonizingly longer, and yet, she was still alone, waiting to speak to the final officer. She didn't think she could be any more nervous than what she was, and she knew without a doubt, that if somebody didn't come in soon to distract her, she'd be in tears from frustration. Despite everything that she'd seen and had been through, she wasn't ready to let anybody see her tears. It was something her father had taught her before he left. Tears were a weakness, and while they were allowed some of the time, more often than not it was better to keep them to yourself. Put on a brave face, is what he'd always tell her. She could remember coming home from school upset more than once, and it was always the same thing, 'put on a brave face'. Well she was getting tired of her brave face.

She nearly jumped when she finally heard the door creak open, and lifted her head from the table thankful that somebody had finally decided to check up on her. The sooner she answers the questions, she sooner she could go home.

"Miss Higurashi?" she heard a male ask.

"Yes," she responded quietly as she lifted her eyes to his face. She nearly jumped again, but this time for a completely different reason. Of all the men she expected to show up in the room, this one man certainly wasn't one of them. Gone was the blue uniform, and crew cut hair. Gone was the spit and polish shoes and shiny badge on the front of his jacket. Instead she saw a man with the most beautiful silver white hair she had ever seen, a colour extremely unusual in a man his age. While her heart had always skipped a beat when she saw a man with blue or green eyes, it skipped two beats this time when she gazed upon his amber ones, and noted the intensity in them. The man standing in front of her wasn't a man at all, but a god. Any other time and place she'd have been swooning all over him. It must be the nerves, she justified to herself. For a change they were allowing her to behave in a more reasonable manner.

"Lieutenant Inuyasha Taisho. Sorry to keep you waiting." He took a seat in front of her and placed a small tape recorder in the middle of the table, before shrugging off his jacket entirely. She nearly groaned at the sight, knowing that this meant she wouldn't be able to go home as quickly as she thought she would.

"I'm sorry to be a bother, Lieutenant, but is this going to take long? I've been here all day and I just need to go home," she pleaded, allowing her eyes to tear up just a little to garner some sympathy.

She heard him sigh and watched him as he reached across the table to grab one of her hands. "Call me Yash, I'm not one for titles unless I want to frighten somebody or pull rank," he smirked. "And no, you won't be going home, I'm sorry to say. Unfortunately there has been an unexpected turn of events. We tried to work as quickly as we could so Naraku wouldn't find out about you, but it seems we were a little bit too late. I can't go into details, but Naraku knows what you saw, and he knows that it could be dangerous to him."

"What does this mean?" Kagome had a sinking feeling that she knew what it meant, but she wanted it confirmed, she needed it confirmed.

"It means precisely what you think it does." He leveled his gaze at her, forcing her to look at him and understand what he was about to say. "Naraku has placed a bounty on your head. 50,000 if you're brought to him dead."

She gasped, both in shock at the amount, and in fear at the implication of the bounty.

"It gets worse. There's a second bounty for 100,000 if you're brought to him alive. For some reason Naraku wants you, I don't know why, but he does. I wouldn't doubt it for a moment if somebody was already in your home waiting for you to arrive." She shivered at the thought of some man hiding in a dark corner of her apartment, most likely her bedroom closet as most people are unguarded in their bedrooms. "That scared you," Yash noted. "Good, it was meant to scare you. Anything I tell you, I'm not going to sugar coat. I'll tell you more once we leave, but meanwhile, for my record, I need you to answer some questions again. I've read your statement, I've seen your evidence, and both are very good, but I need to it all again, coming from your mouth, not just on paper."

Kagome nodded, not able to do much else. "I'll tell you everything I know."

"Good. Then let's start at the beginning. What were you doing out behind Pennies earlier today?"


	2. Chapter 2

Inuyasha had to credit Kagome for her sense of calm. Most women would be hysterical by this time. But she remained composed throughout the entire interview, and didn't break down into tears when he told her about the bounty. He was thankful, he couldn't handle tears. He tugged her arm a little to urge her to keep up with him. There was so much more to explain to her, but he couldn't do it in the precinct. There were too many eyes and ears. As it was Naraku must already know that she was questioned and is in the vicinity of the police station. "Quickly, into my car, I'll explain the rest along the way."

She nodded and climbed into the passenger seat of the unmarked navy car. "Somehow, I thought you'd be the type to drive a flashier car," she commented, trying to make conversation.

He grunted as he shifted the car into gear. "I learned the hard way that flashier cars are easier to spot when on a case. My last car was bright red, purred like a kitten and could go from zero to 60 in 1.2 seconds. However, due to the fact that it wasn't a car that could easily blend in with traffic, it often became the target of several unsavourables. The car itself met its end last year when somebody from Naraku's brood found it and placed a small explosive inside it. I, myself, only had enough time to exit the car, after I noticed it, or else I'd probably be in the same condition."

Kagome grimaced at the thought. "So tell me where I'm going if I can't go home?"

Yash quickly scanned the interior of the car before speaking. "My place. Nobody will suspect you're there. Nobody on the force, other than myself, will know you're there either."

"What about a safe house? I don't feel quite comfortable being someplace where only one single person knows where I am."

"Safe house is no good. Naraku has too many people in his pocket to keep you safe. And the reason nobody else on the force will know where you are is because there's a leak in there somewhere, a leak I have yet to find and I don't want to chance any one of them learning where you are. Anybody who wants contact with you will have to go through me first."

"And how do I know I can trust you?"

He smirked at her. "You don't, you'll just have to try. If it makes you feel any better though, nobody wants Naraku behind bars more than I do."

"Personal vendetta?" she asked.

"No doubt about it." He looked over at her as he pulled into a driveway. "Naraku murdered my wife." He opened his door and got out of the car, gesturing her to the same. "Come inside, I'll show you around then we'll talk in the kitchen."

* * *

He left her to look around the guestroom for a bit while he fished around the kitchen cupboards for something to eat. The problem about living on your own was there was never any food in the house. Sure he had the normal items any single male would have in his kitchen, such as cereal, and ramen, but there was nothing to serve her. Digging to the back of the cupboard he found a box of Oreos he didn't realize he still had. With a quick sniff of the box, Yash decided the cookies were still good and placed them on a plate.

"I have a list for you," he jumped when she spoke, not hearing her come into the kitchen. He grabbed the list and quickly looked it over. "Basic necessities, some clothing since you won't let me go back to my apartment. I don't need brand names, just something that fits and is semi-stylish. Toiletries, and a computer or access to your computer so I can do some work from here."

"What kind of work," he asked warily. "I didn't realize a videographer could work from home."

"Research. I'm researching a project on the side. I understand that I can't go back to work until my life gets back to normal. I've already called the TV station I was freelancing for and pretty much burned my bridges with them." She sighed. "It's hard to be called upon again when you couldn't complete the job the first time."

"I'm sorry," and he was, as he knew how hard it was to stand out in a tough career. "You do good work though. The footage we had to confiscate was excellent, despite the unfortunate circumstances."

"You mean catching the murder on screen. I'd rather not do that again, thanks very much." She sat at the table and grabbed an Oreo off the plate. "It's enough to nail Naraku, though, isn't it?"

"Sure is. While he didn't pull the trigger, he issued the order. That's as good as first-degree murder to me. It's just a matter of catching him. I'm sure he's gone underground again, and I know he's up to something, it's just a matter of getting one step ahead of him so I can actually catch him."

"If I can help in any way while I'm confined to your house, let me know. I'm fantastic with research, it was one of my specialties in school, alongside with videography and production."

He flicked the switch to the coffee machine on, and watched the pot fill before he turned back to speak to Kagome. He had to admire her guts. She had just witnessed a horrible crime, a man murdered in cold blood, she had just sat in the interrogation room at the precinct, hanging onto her sanity by a thread, and here she was, offering to do what she could to help him catch the man who was his one reason for joining the force to begin with.

* * *

Author's Notes: For those of you wondering about Day Girl, I haven't given up on it yet, I'm still working on it, am fighting a bit of the block with it, and have been super busy. Most recently, a root canal yesterday…while painless during the procedure, I never want another one…man did my mouth hurt afterward!

Thank you to the following people for your wonderful – DarkMoonStar, Alanna, and – KagomeHig715

Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me, the characters belong to Rumiko Takashashi


	3. Chapter 3

"How much do you know about the Shikon no Tama?" he asked as he placed a mug of fresh coffee in front of her. He didn't wait for her answer as he grabbed the milk from the fridge, and sugar from the counter. However, out of the corner of his eye, he did see her sit up in surprise.

"The jewel of four souls," she answered. "Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama and Sakimitama. It was created by the powerful priestess Midoriko and youkai during a battle. She grabbed the soul and power of the youkai and bound it within hers when she realized she couldn't defeat them, and thus, the Shikon no Tama, or sacred jewel, was formed."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You know your stuff."

She blushed. "Part of my research. Is that what Naraku wants?"

"He's heard legend of it and swears it's the real thing. Ten years ago he came after my wife, believing she was the protector of the jewel. Kikyou, my wife, had heard of the jewel, yet had never seen it. She wasn't sure if it even existed, despite the fact that the story was passed on from generation to generation in her family."

"Kikyou Hakimi, that's the Kikyou I'm assuming you're referring to, was a direct descent of Midoriko, or so I have been told. She would know the story, probably better than I. I had been trying to track her down for the last four years. She was killed, you say?"

He nearly crushed the coffee mug in his hand. "Yeah, Naraku tortured her while trying to locate the whereabouts of the jewel from her. He nabbed her off the street one day, while she was on her way home from work. I had offered to pick her up, as her car was in the shop, but she insisted that she was fine walking home. I believed her."

"And she never came home."

He set his mug on the table before he shattered it. "No, she never came home. I spent weeks searching for her, and finally one day she showed up on my doorstep, in pieces. Naraku had whipped her, cut her, tortured her in ways unimaginable, before raping her, and finally dismembering her. He never did get any information out of her. I didn't know that it was him who took her, but one day while I was still in uniform, I was chasing this man down the street, Naraku, and before firing a shot at me, he mentioned Kikyou's name and told me she was a good fuck," he spat out in disgust. "I knew then that he was the one who had murdered my wife, he tried to kill me, and since then I made it my goal to move through the ranks so I could work in the organized crime division, with the sole intent of bringing Naraku to his knees."

"That's horrible," Kagome was near tears at his story, and horrified at the same time that somebody could be so cruel.

"I told you this story for two reasons. One, you need to know what you're up against. I don't mind help with research, but you need to know the likes of Naraku. Second, you needed to hear Kikyou's story to understand why I can't let him catch you. I don't know why he wants you alive, but if he finds you, it means certain death for you, and probably far worse. Naraku was obsessed with Kikyou, as I learned afterward. He sent me numerous letters, notes, about how long she screamed, how she screamed for me, and how he had no use for her once he broke her spirit. I may not know you very well, but I don't want the same happening to you." Inuyasha leveled his gaze at Kagome. "You and Kikyou look so much alike you could be mistaken as sisters, but from what I've seen, you have more spirit and fight in you than she did. He'll thrive on that."

She visibly shuddered. "Good, I want you afraid," Yash confirmed. "It means you'll watch your back and be extra careful. Now, other than the footage you caught, tell me why Naraku would want you alive?"

"My research," she whispered. "I've been tracking the Shikon no Tama for years now. Freelance videography was just a way to pay the bills, and if I was lucky, I'd make a bit extra and that was set aside for my major project. I want to make documentaries, and the first one I was working on was on the legend of the Shikon no Tama."

"What kind of information do you have?"

"All sorts, the history, the various legends written throughout the years. I have digital copies of various parchments containing the story, or information. Any original copy of such is kept in a safe deposit at one of the banks, under my grandfather's name. He's the one who told me of the legend when I was younger, and I've been fascinated ever since."

"You mentioned Kikyou's name. How did you know she's a descendent of Midoriko?" He pulled out his tape recorder, intent on collecting all the information he could.

"Genealogy. It took me years to complete that particular line of descent, but I did. What I didn't know was that Kikyou had married; I hadn't gotten that far in my research, which is why I didn't know she died. I'm sure if I had researched a Kikyou Taisho, I'd probably have found a death certificate." He nodded to confirm her suspicion. "I've been working on a second genealogy line descending from Midoriko. I need people related to her in some way to tell the story. They may know more information. However, it's tedious work filtering through it all. I'm about half way through the second line."

"This is good, it may give us an edge over Naraku. If we can find out whom else he's targeting, we can get to them before he does. We may be able to set a trap, and prevent another death." He tapped his fingers against the kitchen table, and thought for a moment. "There's one hitch."

"And that is?" Kagome asked.

"Your data. I don't know how much of it we have access to. Naraku may have already stripped your computer and taken your hard drive."

"He's not going to find anything on that," she smiled as she tapped her the side of her camera bag. "I don't keep any of my data on my home PC, I don't trust people to not hack into it. Everything I've been working is saved on DVDs and they come with everywhere I go. Same with my footage. What I don't have on me is kept in a safe deposit bank."

For the first time since he met her, he smiled. "Smart, very smart. This makes things a bit easier. Tell me what you need in order to continue your research and I'll make sure we can get it."

"Just a laptop. And while I prefer a desktop over a laptop, a laptop will be easier for us to transport if need be."

"What about the footage. I'd like to get a chance to view some of what you have, see if it might give me a new perspective."

"If you make sure the laptop has a capture card in it, I could upload the video onto a DVD and you can watch it right in your living room."

He handed the list she had given him back to her. "Write down the system specs you want on the computer and I'll make sure it happens. Don't worry about cost, just make sure the computer has what you need." He waited until she handed the piece of paper back to him and glanced at it. "Are you going to need access to your safe deposit boxes?"

"Probably not," Kagome replied. "I have a digital copy of everything that's in them. I just didn't want to leave the originals lying around just anywhere. Why?" she questioned.

"I don't want you to make any unnecessary trips outside of the house. Anytime you go out, you go out with me, and you'll be going out under disguise. That's also on my list. I'm thinking blonde hair, and I'll find some colour contacts, and of course an outfit that Kagome Higurashi wouldn't be caught dead in. Any suggestions?"

She blushed as she grabbed the list and wrote a few items down. "I mostly dress casual in jeans and such. Professionally, if I'm doing something other than videography, I wear a business suit. What I don't do is go out very often at night, therefore I have nothing to wear if I was going to a club, so it's not something Naraku or his minions would expect me to dress in. My only suggestion is make it day time appropriate so I don't look like a total skank."

Inuyasha looked her up and down and grinned when he saw what she had written on the list. "I know the perfect thing."

She groaned as she saw him moving to the door. "And get some groceries. I'd actually like something a little more substantial than Oreo cookies for dinner."

"You're being pretty cheeky for somebody who's staying in somebody else's house for a while."

"I think I'm entitled to be as you've just uprooted me from my life and scared the shit out of me with Kikyou's story. Give me some semblance of normality please."

Inuyasha chuckled. It might actually be refreshing to share his house with a guest for a while. He was sure with Kagome around; things weren't about to get boring.

* * *

Author's Notes: I apologize for the delay, but I got serious block at a certain part, however, I managed to push past it tonight and this story is now 85 completed (although I haven't posted 85 of it yet). This should be done soon, I hope. It's not a very long story.


	4. Chapter 4

Needless to say, Inuyasha was impressed. Very impressed. He had spent his off hours during the last three days watching the footage Kagome had provided him about the Shikon no Tama. He had come to the conclusion that she was good at what she did. The camerawork itself was phenomenal, but that was nothing compared to her interviewing skills. He had to wonder why she chose to be a videographer rather than a reporter, as it seemed she was able to make anybody open it. Her interviewing skills seemed to match him, and she certainly followed the same pattern.

She started out slow, asking the easy questions, allowing the subject to become comfortable in front of the camera, occasionally allowing herself to joke around with the subject. It seemed that within a few minutes of the interview, the subject had forgotten they were in front of the camera. That's when she pushed for the harder questions, the questions that helped provide the answers she needed. It was no wonder she knew where to look in the geneology of Midoriko. She had obviously received direction from numerous sources she interviewed. He couldn't help but feel a bit of pride knowing she'd do well in an interrogation room, that is if she was doing the interrogation. She'd make a good partner to do the good cop/bad cop routine with. He looked over at her and saw her working away on the laptop, with one hand holding pen as she scribbled notes onto a pad of paper next to her.

Her work ethic impressed him as well. There were very few people who would work from morning to late night, everyday without complaint. She told him once she just wanted her life back and she was willing to work hard to get it back. He figured there was more to it than that. This gave her the perfect opportunity to work uninterrupted on her documentary. This was why he didn't tell her that her research could be considered evidence and confiscated. He was going to do his best to gather enough evidence outside of her work so as not to take hers.

"I need a printer," Kagome broke the silence.

"What kind?" he asked, trying to set his mind toward business again, and not the female sitting across the room from him.

"Preferably a colour laser. I've been meaning to get one for myself, so I have no problem giving you my bank card for the money, but I need to see something in this picture close up, and seeing on a computer screen just isn't the same as under a magnifying glass."

"I can't get money out of your bank account, and you can't use your credit cards. Naraku is probably monitoring them and will have men surrounding your location within two minutes of use, that's if he doesn't already have somebody there."

He watched as she laid her head in defeat against the table. In the past five days he had never seen her look anything but determined. He hated himself for making her upset, it was certainly never his intention.

"When is this going to end?" she mumbled against the table. "I hate hiding, I hate being unable to come and go as I please, how much longer until we catch him?"

Inuyasha placed his hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Come on, we can take a night off and just shoot the shit. I've got a ton of movies, a fridge full of beer, or if you're interested, we can have a few rounds on the pool table in the basement. You probably need a break from all of the work anyway."

She smiled at him gratefully, and he didn't know why, but it set his stomach all a stir. "Thanks Yash. I'll get everything done tomorrow. I'm this close on figuring out the geneology. I've tracked it down to the early 1900s, the rest should be a breeze." She walked to the fridge and grabbed several bottles of beer. "I vote for the pool table. After spending days in front of a screen, whether it be computer or television, I don't feel like watching a movie."

"Pool it is, but I should warn you Kagome, I used to play pool for money in school and needless to say, I always won." He took a few beers from her arms and led her to the basement.

"Like I'm scared," she retorted. She opened two beers while Inuyasha walked to the back wall of the basement and opened a large cupboard, pulling out two pool cues and some chalk.

"You should be scared. By the end of the night you'll be begging me to put you out of your misery." He smirked and handed her a cue.

"I should let you know that I played a lot of pool too while in school. It was good practice at setting up angles. You've got some tough competition boy." She filled the triangle with the different coloured balls and lined them up on the table. "Do you want to break, or shall I?" she asked.

"Go ahead," he took a swig of his bear. "You may as well go first because once I start, you won't get a chance to shoot at anything again." He stood at the sidelines and watched as she leaned over with her pool cue, sticking her pert little ass into the air. He took another swig of his beer as he felt the butterflies in his stomach act up again. What was it about this girl? She was fearless, she knew how to work hard and she obviously knew how to play hard. There were very few women out there who would challenge him to a game of pool, and those who did usually used it as an excuse to him to give them a one on one lesson of the game, usually with a lot of close contact, whether he desired it or not.

He had to admit she was good, though. Beyond good as she sank the first two balls and continued to aim for the solids. Better than he expected most definitely. He looked at her as she was leaning over the table, aiming for her fourth solid, and stopped breathing. Nevermind how good her game was, her game didn't need to be good seeing as she had the art of distraction down, whether she knew it or not. He couldn't claim her shirt was low cut, but bent over, she certainly provided a view. "Damn," he muttered under his breath.

He had his reprieve when she missed the shot and stood back and pouted. Unfortunately, that pout put other thoughts into his head. "Your turn," she shrugged and turned around to polish off the last of her beer.

He opened a second and handed it to her. "All right, little girl, now it's time to see how pool is really played," and he set up his shot. He knew he was distracted when only two of the striped balls fell into pockets. Three should have gone in, but he wasn't about admit that.

"Not bad, Yash," she raised her eyebrow. "You've got potential."

"Potential my ass. What I've got is skill. Watch and learn," he retorted. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard her open a third beer. "Taking advantage of the free beer?" he commented as he took his shot and sunk another ball.

"Of course," and he watched as she chugged half the bottle down.

"You better watch it, you'll be drunk in no time."

"That's the intention," she confirmed. "Beer is good, it lowers your inhibitions."

_And what would you need to lower your inhibitions for?_ He didn't realize that he asked the question aloud until she answered.

"To do this," and before he knew it, she had pushed him on the table and lowered her lips to his. He groaned at the contact, at the electric shock that occurred the moment her lips touched his. Urgently he responded, throwing his cue stick to the floor and grabbing her hips to pull her closer. His tongue and fingers worked in tandem, as one massaged her waistline, while the other massaged her moist cavern. He felt her shiver in delight and it only urged him on more.

He couldn't remember ever tasting anything so sweet, so alluring, so addictive. Watching her for the past several days he knew she had the potential to be a fantastic lover. She was spirited, and it seemed as if nothing could break it. She was facing circumstances that would make any woman crumble within minutes, but not only did she not crumble, but she seemed to be thriving on the adreneline caused by the situation. He had never seen a person work so hard on a single project before.

She moaned against his mouth and moved her hands to run through his hair, and he nearly purred with each stroke. Each time a finger would touch his scalp it left a path of fire, and it left him wanting more.

He managed to separate from her for a minute, knowing that if he didn't try now, he wouldn't try again later on. He was too caught up in the sensations and emotions of the minute and reality was slowly slipping through his fingers.

"Kags," he breathed as he quickly pulled away. "You're drunk. I don't want to take advantage of this."

He barely had a moment to catch his breath before she was on him again. "I think I'm the one taking advantage of you," she said before diving for his mouth again. The moment she pressed her body against his, all rational thought left his head and instinct took over.

He ran his hands all over her, nearly tearing her shirt off in the process. Slipping his hands under her bra, he thought he was in heaven as skin met skin. He could feel the spark, the shock of it all at first contact, he was addicted.

The heat was emanating off her in ways he couldn't even begin to imagine. Alcohol or no alcohol in her system, he had to have her.

Immediately.

His control snapped and within seconds he had the both of them stripped and he was inside her, a need for completion clawing at them both.

His mouth trailed down her neck, tasting and savouring the saltiness of her skin before returning to her mouth, ravishing it and nipping and sucking on her lower lip.

Her hands wouldn't stop moving, grabbing his ass and urging him on. Her hips moved and bucked along with him. She was possessed by him in a way she swore no man would ever possess her, and she savoured it, craved it and never wanted it to end.

He pushed her further into the table, speeding up and acting with an urgency he had never felt before. He was close, and knew she was too, he could feel the fire building up to an intensity he had never experienced before. Within moments she was writing underneath him, screaming into his mouth, as he grasped her hips and slammed into her one last time, losing himself in the process.


	5. Chapter 5

"I found it!" Kagome yelled as she furiously typed on the laptop.

"Found what?" Yash was currently connecting her new laser printer.

"The connection, the final heredity line of Midoriko. If the legend is correct then whoever is at the end of this line should be the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, or at least have a wealth of knowledge about its whereabouts."

"And once you find out its whereabouts, what do you plan on doing with it?" he asked.

"Nothing. I'm not going to disclose the whereabouts, it's too dangerous, especially if men like Naraku are after it." She sent a quick file off to the newly installed printer, waiting patiently as the photo she needed was printed off. "But I'm hoping to gain more knowledge about the jewel, and I'm hoping, like you, to use it as a way to keep ahead of Naraku. If I can find out this information, so can he, and I don't know how good his sources are compared to mine."

"How long will it take you to narrow it down to one person."

"An hour at the most," she said decisively. "As soon as I have a name you can use your connections and get an address or phone number at the very least."

He nodded and looked back to the videotape he was currently previewing, however, he wasn't really paying it much attention. Instead he was focused last night, or rather, early this morning after they had made the move to his bedroom. They had come together three more times after the initial sex frenzy in the basement, and true to her word, she didn't regret, and neither did he. But it had left him wondering what was going to happen after the case was solved and she moved back to her own apartment. Would they still maintain the connection they had? Would they continue to see each other as lovers, or would the time they spent here fade into memory. He really didn't want it to fade away.

For the first time since Kikyou, he had feelings about somebody, and they were strong, wholesome and refreshing.

She had spent the remainder of the night in his bed, curled up alongside him sleeping while he lay awake worrying about the upcoming events. What if Naraku manages to snag her from underneath his nose? He didn't want to think of the possibility, but knew he had to. He didn't want her to succumb to his nasty ways, to be tortured, brutally raped and finally left for dead. He couldn't fathom the very idea and found himself snarling at the mere thought.

She was his and he was going to protect her. Which left him wondering about his current display of possessiveness for the rest of the morning. It wasn't normal for him to be possessive about anybody, and certainly not anybody he had just recently met. Maybe they were destined to be more than just a case and an investigator. Maybe he did have a future with her. That thought gave him the solemnity to sleep until well into the morning.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, drawing his attention back to her. He looked upon her face, now pale, nearing a white complexion.

"What's wrong?" he was up instantly and to her side.

"It's me," she barely choked out.

"Huh?"

"It's me, the last of Midoriko's line." Her hand was beginning to violently shake as she moved it over the keyboard to bring up the information he needed to see. "Somehow, I'm loosely related to Kikyou, not directly though. There's a connection between us that dates back to about two hundred years ago. That's when we see the genealogical tree starting to split, with Kikyou's family lineage going one way, and mine going the other way, only when I started researching I didn't realize that it was my lineage."

He nodded as he followed along, understanding the logic behind what she was saying, but not willing to accept the fact that if what she said was true, she was in more danger than he initially thought. That didn't sit well with him at all.

"Once I got to my great grand-parents, it dawned on me that I knew the rest of the path without doing the research, but what bogged me down is all the branch families that come out of one family line." She took a deep breath. "Anyway, it all makes sense, my obsession with finding the jewel, the stories my grandfather had been sure to pass on."

"Did he know why he was passing the stories on?" he asked.

"I don't think so," she scrunched up her face in contemplation. If it were about any other topic he'd consider it adorable. "You have to know my grandfather to understand. He's a shrine priest, and he believes these stories regardless if they're true or not. He passed them down to my brother and I because he loved to do so, not because it was necessary. Mind you, he did tell me to pay particular attention to this story, but I think it's just because he knew I'd love the legend."

"So, if you're the Priestess of Legend, the guardian of the jewel, where is it?"

"I don't know, that's what I don't get. While there are other branches of my family, there isn't a single other branch that can be traced back to the Shikon no Tama. It's either Kikyou, or myself."

"Okay," he grabbed her hand and maneuvered them to the couch. "If this is all true, then you are in greater danger than we thought. For all we know, Naraku may have figured this out before and that's why you're now a target, because you are the guardian, not because you have the research that may lead to the guardian."

"But I don't even know it's true," she whispered again. "I mean, if I were the guardian, wouldn't I have some knowledge of this? Of the whereabouts of the jewel, or at the very least, _feel_ something in me that makes me different from others? If this jewel is as powerful as it's claimed to be, why don't I feel anything in me that makes me more aware of it?

"Maybe you do," he answered. "Maybe that's why you've spent all your free time researching it, learning about it, tracing its origins. Maybe the jewel wants you know more about it before it decides to resurface and offer itself to your protection. Perhaps the jewel believes that in order to protect it best, you need to know it like you know yourself, so you have an understanding of what it is you're trying to protect."

She scoffed at him. "Now you're making it seem like the jewel is alive and has its own feelings."

"So, what's wrong with that? There's a reason why it's known as the jewel of four souls. If there are indeed souls trapped in that jewel, then it may well be alive and have a mind of its own. So it's quite possible."

"Hmm," she lay her head on his shoulder, taking comfort in the fact that he was still there next to her, helping her during her moment of crisis. "I need to find my grandfather. He would know more about this and would probably know how to unlock the mystery behind it all. He was very reluctant to do so for television, but he might now."

He sighed, unwilling to let her do this but knowing she had to. "Where is he? We'll need to arrange something behind the back of Naraku. If he's made the same connection as you did, then your grandfather and yourself could be in some serious trouble."

"I know, but I need to get a hold of him. He'll have the answers I need, I hope," she muttered under her breath. "Either way he can shed some more light on the situation." She leapt up from the couch and grabbed her new cell phone and dialed a number she knew by heart but hadn't called in years.

Inuyasha watched out of the corner of his eye while he went back to the computer to take a second look at her work. He was hoping she was wrong, very wrong, but he knew how thorough she was. Chances of her being wrong were slim to none, and it was scaring the hell out of him. He tracked through her research, checking for errors and inwardly cursing when he found none. It was entirely possible, even plausible for Kagome to be the guardian of the jewel. Was that what made her so special though? He knew there was something different about her when he first saw her, but it was it because of the jewel, or because she was special herself?

He turned back to look at her when she tapped him on his shoulder. If he thought she looked a little pale earlier, she was ghostly white now.

"It's too late," he said as he jumped up and grabbed his phone from his back pocket.

She merely nodded. "My grandfather didn't answer the phone. Naraku did."

"Fuck," he flipped open the phone and called the one number he swore he would never call. "Sesshoumaru," he growled into it. "I need your help."

* * *

Author's notes: Short post, I know, but the story is short and will soon be coming to a close. About 4 or 5 more chapters I should think. I've already got the next two written, so they should be coming hopefully in the next week or so.


	6. Chapter 6

Kagome watched the third man sitting around the table warily. She didn't know him, she didn't know if she could trust him. Despite the similarities between himself and Inuyasha, she would tell that Inuyasha wasn't thrilled to work with him. There was obviously some bad blood between the brothers, although why, she could never guess. In her few days with Inuyasha, despite how close they became, he never once mentioned he had a brother, there was no evidence around his house regarding any familial ties with anybody. Yet the man sitting before her could clearly be no other.

"Where is jewel, Miko?" he asked, confusing her. She hadn't been called a priestess in quite some time, not since before she left her grandfather's shrine.

"I don't know," she answered despondently. "I've never seen it before, or felt it before. I couldn't tell you anything about other than what I've learned through my research."

His amber eyes bore through her, as if he was trying to detect any deceit. If she had the energy, she would have been insulted. "Hn." He turned back and looked at Inuyasha. "It's simple enough. We use the girl as a bargaining chip."

"What?" Yash was indignant at the idea. "Fuck no. I don't use anybody as bait, especially not Kagome."

"This is not negotiable," Sesshoumaru countered. "You asked for my help, if you really want it, you'll do what I say. We need the girl because Naraku needs the girl."

"No, absolutely not. If that's what you're planning on doing, then go home now, Sesshoumaru. I'm not putting Kagome in anymore danger."

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru rose from the kitchen table and made his way to the door. She sighed, knowing that he was right and knowing that she would do anything to make sure her family was safe. "Wait," she called out. He stopped at the door and looked back at her, silently telling her to continue. "I'll do it."

"No!" Yash yelled.

"Inuyasha, I'll do anything to make sure my grandfather is safe and sound. If it means I have to be used as bait, so be it." She glared at him. "It's my decision to make, not yours."

"I'm the investigating officer here," he countered. "This doesn't go down without my say so."

"Then I'll go behind your back and do it!" she argued. "Either way it's going to happen, I just have a better chance of remaining alive if both of you are a part of this."

Reluctantly, she could see Inuyasha agree and resign himself to her fate. She was going to do this with or without his blessing, but as she told them, she'd rather do it them. For some reason, she trusted Yash with her life, and know that he would not willingly allow harm to come to her. Sesshoumaru made his way back to the table and sat down.

"Okay Kagome, we're doing this your way. What did the bastard say to you when you spoke with him earlier?"

"He wants a meeting. He wants my notes on the Shikon no Tama, and he wants me, nothing else. I think he believes I know how to find the jewel. I don't," she whispered hopelessly.

"Simple enough. We'll make a digital copy of your thumb drive, as well has hard copies of everything on it. We'll keep your original and put it in Sesshoumaru's safety deposit box. It's probably more secure than yours."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "You can modify any of your files if you'd like beforehand, but make sure it's not noticeable. Any blatant errors on the disk could cost you your life, and quite possibly your grandfather's. If you want to hold a file or two back, that you know for sure Naraku doesn't know about, let us know and we'll make it happen." She nodded. "Just keep in mind that he probably kept a tab on everything that you've researched over the years, and the only files he won't have copies of is anything you've worked on since you started staying here."

"We don't have long," she said. "He wants to see me at the shrine in three hours. He also said no police. Everything will be off if he sees a police presence."

"There won't be a police presence," Sesshoumaru confirmed. "It'll just be Inuyasha and myself. We'll be more than sufficient to keep you safe."

"Two of you? Against all of Naraku's cronies?" she asked incredulously.

"Both Sesshoumaru and I have experience with the armed forces," Inuyasha lifted her hand into his to offer what little comfort he could. "I left when my term was complete. Sess continued on and was trained in the elite forces. Nobody is as deadly as Sesshoumaru when he is on a mission."

"Okay then," she gulped nervously. "What's the plan?"

"Plan is simple," Sesshoumaru looked Kagome directly in the eye. "You don't enter the building until your grandfather leaves and is safe and sound. Once he gets down to the entranceway of the shrine, Inuyasha will make sure he's safe. Then you enter. You can hand your notes over as a sign of good faith."

"Hey! Why do I have to be down at the bottom of the shrine?"

"Because," Sess turned to look at Yash. "I will be around the back trying to find a way into the house without being seen. I'm hoping to get into the same room as Naraku before Kagome does so she doesn't have to be with him alone. You will follow as soon as you can. I will take out any guards that get in my way. You are expected to do the same."

"So that's it. I walk in and hope that the two of you do your job."

"Expect the two of us to do our jobs, I've never failed," Sesshoumaru said. "I especially will not fail now. Naraku will be dead before the end of the day."

"Hey hey hey, cop here!" Inuyasha waved his hand in front of his brother. "You just can't go around telling a cop you're going to kill somebody."

"Inuyasha, I suggest you learn to deal with this. Naraku will die tonight, either by my hand or yours. He will pay for what he did to Rin."

"Rin?" Kagome asked.

"Sess's adoptive daughter," Inuyasha explained. "Thankfully she was found alive, but she's scarred for life. I found her on one of my cases. Naraku left her for dead, only somebody didn't check to make sure they finished the job. Sess was in town visiting when I found her and ended up adopting her. She didn't speak for a year except at night when she'd scream from night terrors. He wasn't looking to take her in, but he was the only she responded to in the hospital."

"And today?" Kagome asked.

"She's well," Sesshoumaru answered. "Not entirely healed, but she's in school and functioning at the level she should be. She still has night terrors though." His facial expression darkened.

"Okay," Kagome pulled open her laptop. "I need a blank dvd here. If we're to get this show on the road, we need to act fast. Most of the files I can alter, there are some I can't, but they're only secondary anyway. I have transcripts of all my interviews on here, so I doubt he'll want or need my video footage, he didn't ask for it."

"If he didn't ask for it, then we ain't giving it to him." He looked over at his brother. "I'm going to grab a DVD for Kagome, then you and I are going to talk strategy. I need to know where you're at at all times. We'll have to figure out what you're carrying, what I'm carrying, how you plan on getting in the house, so on and so forth. I want to leave as little of this up to chance as possible." He turned back around to Kagome. "That file you have with the genealogy that leads up to you, don't include it. Naraku probably doesn't know that we have gotten that far yet. If he brings it up, act surprised, it may work to our advantage."

Kagome paused for a moment before going back to the keyboard to type furiously. To say she was scared at the moment was major understatement. She was terrified. After the stories she heard about Naraku, how could she not be scared at the thought of what he could do with her? And what if Inuyasha and his brother didn't make it on time, what if he shoots her the moment he sees her, there's no way either of them could help her.

She watched the two of them plot and plan and decided against voicing her fears. They were doing this to help her and her family, and Inuyasha already had his reservations. She didn't want to foster those reservations and add her fears to the weight already on their shoulders.

Looking at the clock, she trembled. She didn't have much time to gather her belongings, and her thoughts together. She had to be strong, not just for herself, but for her grandfather as well. She knew, if it came down to it, she wouldn't hesitate in giving her life for her grandfather.

She just sincerely hoped it didn't come down to that.


	7. Chapter 7

She looked up the steps of the shrine and could see her grandfather standing there, next to a male and female she had never seen before. Neither were involved at the crime scene she had witnessed earlier, so she wondered if they were indeed close to the man, or just hired goons. She nodded at the two of them before placing a few dvds on the ground. "A show of good faith," she said. "I'll come with you willingly after you let my grandfather go. I'm not moving until he's off the Shrine properly completely." She didn't even look at him, knowing that if she did she would break down.

"Very well then," the female spoke and collected the dvds while pushing the old man toward the shrine steps. She spoke to him as he left. "Don't speak to her old man or all guarantees are off. If you want to see her alive you'll walk straight down and keep your mouth shut."

Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing the threat was empty. If Naraku had his way, she was going to die anyway, regardless of whether or not her grandfather spoke to her. But she didn't want anything happening to him. She knew as soon as he got to the bottom Inuyasha would be there to make sure he was safe and brief him on everything. She didn't have anything to worry about there, and her poor grandfather wouldn't worry for too long. She couldn't say anything right now without giving anything away. She watched silently as he made his way down the steps before turning back to her new captors. "Where do I go?"

"Follow me," the woman turned on her heel and walked inside, while the young man held back to follow Kagome in. She knew this house like the back of her hand, she grew up here and had provided all of the detailed plans to the house to both of the boys. It gave her a nostalgic feeling to see this place after avoiding it for years, and she knew after this, all of the happy memories the house gave her would be tainted. She would forever remember the time Naraku interfered and destroyed the peace and serenity of the place.

She stepped into the living room and saw the man sitting on the easy chair. He was well dressed, Armani if she was correct, something that only money could buy, and impeccably groomed. His long brown hair hung in loose waves down his back. His very being exuded power, maybe not as much as Sesshoumaru, but enough. He must be Naraku.

"Kagome Higurashi," he drawled out. "Thank you for joining us. Please take a seat," he gestured to an empty seat on the couch, then turned to his two goons, for lack of a better word to describe them. "Kagura, Kohaku, you two are to remain by the front door to make sure Miss Higurashi was not followed."

"My grandfather's to remain safe!" Kagome bit out, hoping that he wasn't sending one of the two after him.

"For now," Naraku qualified. "I only agreed to release him. There's nothing stopping me from going after him again once this is all over. That wasn't in the agreement."

"If that's the case, you'll never get the jewel," she bluffed, hoping he wouldn't fall for it.

The man had the audacity to smirk. "So you have the jewel, just as I thought."

Kagome immediately recognized the error of her words and part of plan A just backfired on her. He now knew that she knew she was next in line for the jewel. She had already lost some of the element of surprise. "That doesn't mean you're going to get your hands on it. I don't know where it is," she answered honestly.

"I'm sure you don't, but that doesn't mean you can find out. Your grandfather is safe for now, but your brother certainly isn't. Hakodoushi," he called out.

Kagome watched in horror as a young child dragged her brother out into the open, a blade at his jugular. "Souta!" she cried.

"Now now Kagome," Naraku practically purred. "Souta isn't here to make nice with you, he's here as insurance." He stood from his seat and walked toward her, leaning in close and making eye contact so that she wouldn't misunderstand what he was about to say. "You're going to get me the jewel, I'm confident about that. And you're going to do it by the end of the week, or else Souta will not live to see his next birthday. Then, we'll go after your mother, and your grandfather, until you have nothing left in your life but yourself, and even you aren't safe from me." He watched arrogantly as her brave façade started to crumble. "Now, let's try this again. We do you think we should start looking for this jewel?"

"I don't know," she whispered while glancing at her brother, hoping that Naraku doesn't become impatient with her and take it out on her brother. "I've been trying to narrow it down, but I haven't the slightest idea."

"Well, let's start with your notes. Take a logical guess. Your brother doesn't have much time."

Kagome closed her eyes and said a silent prayer, hoping that she could distract them enough until Inuyasha showed up. Where was he anyway? What if he couldn't get inside without being seen, or worse yet, caught? She didn't want to think of what could happen to either of them if that was the case. She grabbed the discs that were now sitting at feet and looked at Naraku expectantly. "I need a computer."

"Is everything on there?" he asked?

She nodded. "Well, almost. The last few things I had done I hadn't saved to my computer yet, so I don't have those saved. But there was very little there, which is why I hadn't saved it."

She watched in horror as Hakodoushi pressed the knife closer to Souta's throat. "I mean it, the only thing I had worked on was a genealogy that proved I was next in line. You already knew that! I didn't want that saved, which was why I didn't."

"Very well, let's continue." Kagura walked into the living room with a brand new state of the art laptop. "You can use this, now put in the discs."

Kagome slipped the dvd into the computer and waited as the files were loaded onto the screen. She was thankful she had been selective in the information she had copied, and even more thankful that she paid somebody else to transcribe her interviews and the files were never on her computer. She didn't want to put more people in danger.

She heard a quick shuffle above her, a sound that was not natural to her house, and she thanked her stars and held in a much tempted sigh of relief. That had to be Inuyasha, he was still safe. Looking back to the computer, she tried to think of a way to keep Naraku distracted.

"This document here is the history of the jewel, I'm hoping by following this we can get a clue as to how to find it today. We can't understand the jewel if we don't know how it began," she explained hurriedly. She looked up from the screen and saw a flash of silver.

Sesshoumaru.

He was already in the room and Naraku had no clue.

She saw a second flash of silver, and knew that was Inuyasha. Somehow she had become so in tune with him, and instinctively knew he was heading toward Souta. She wasn't so suddenly worried for the safety of her brother anymore.

"I've looked at it, and I've read it, but I haven't studied it in depth. I didn't think it would be that important to me."

Naraku simply stood there, an arrogant smirk on his face. She figured he thought he had won. How dead wrong he was. She kept her eyes on the screen so as not to give anything away. It was imperative for the success of their plan. However, she cringed as he began running his hand through her hair, an intimate gesture only meant for a very close friend or lover, yet he did so as if he had every right. She could feel him moving closer to her, and then pressing against her back. She shuddered as he chuckled and moved his hands to rest on her shoulders. She was suddenly very scared.

"Please don't touch me," she whispered, setting her pride aside for her own personal comfort. Naraku scared her, all of the stories about Kikyou came slamming back at her.

"You're mine, Kagome," he leaned in close and spoke to her, his breath hot on her ear. "I can what I want with you, when I want to. There's not a thing you can do about it. I hold all of the power here, I hold all of the cards, and I will play each one as I will."


	8. Chapter 8

Inuyasha watched as he was filled with a rage he had never seen before. The man was putting his filthy hands all over Kagome, as if he owned her. He was seeing a shade of red he never knew existed, even when he had learned about what happened to Kikyou. These were feelings he'd have to analyze later, for now, he and Sesshoumaru had a job to do.

He nodded to his brother across the room and slid up behind Hakodoushi, being very careful of where the knife was placed against Souta's neck. He didn't want to cause Kagome's brother any undue pain, but he had to take Hakodoushi out.

He also had to do it without Naraku seeing a thing, which was much more difficult. He watched as Sesshoumaru slid up behind another guard and twisted his neck, lethally and silently, allowing the man to slump to the ground without a sound.

Inuyasha himself slipped his hand underneath Hakodoushi's arm, ready to grab his wrist at will and pull the knife away. He kept his hand steady, tracking the angle he was coming up at, and making sure that if he pulled down the same way, Souta wouldn't get cut, or worse, stabbed. Kagome would never forgive him if he put her brother's life in unneeded danger. He watched as Sesshoumaru slipped back into the shadows after taking out another of the guards. He motioned to Sess to get into place, to get near Kagome so he could pull her away from Naraku before Naraku could put his hands on her again. Their hard work would be for naught if Naraku got a hold of Kagome and killed her off. That option was unacceptable.

As soon as he received the signal from Sesshoumaru, he grabbed Hakodoushi's hand and pulled it away from Souta, sending the knife flying from the hand into the floor just ahead. "Naraku," he growled as he tackled Hakodoushi to the ground.

Despite Sesshoumaru's speed though, he wasn't fast enough. Within seconds Naraku had Kagome pressed against him, a gun pressed to her temple. Inuyasha could slowly feel the fear run through him, and knew that this would be an image he would never forget. "Welcome to our party, Lieutenant Taisho, Colonel Taisho. Join us, take a seat," he gestured to the now empty couch.

Inuyasha knocked Hakodoushi's head into the ground one more time, knocking him out cold before making his way to the couch to sit next to his brother. His hands were clenched at the sides. While Sesshoumaru gave no outward sign of any kind, he could tell his brother was formulating a plan. He just hoped it didn't involve Kagome getting hurt.

"Now that we've got the whole family here," Naraku sneered, " we can get started. As I recall, our dear Kagome here was beginning her search for the location of the Shikon no Tama."

"Fool," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Only the desperate would believe such a legend, let alone search out something that doesn't exist."

"And what do you know of it?" Naraku asked.

"Only that it takes a weak man to depend on the power of an inanimate object to strengthen himself. Only that the unworthy are the ones who use it for their own personal gain."

Kagome could feel the rage coming off Naraku at hearing Sesshoumaru speak so poorly about him, and although she felt frightened as his grip tightened on her, she took pride in Sesshoumaru's word. He was right, Naraku was a coward, and most definitely unworthy of the jewel. Based on everything she had read, if he found the jewel, there would be no peace anywhere to speak of. "You'll never get it," she said, gritting her teeth as he pressed the barrel of the gun into her temple even more. "You can shoot me for all I care, but you'll never get it. I'll never find the jewel for you, and you can't find it without me."

Something in her snapped and without thought she reached down between his legs and squeezed. Hard. Digging her nails in as deep as she could, and made a move out of Naraku's way as he doubled over in pain. "You can't kill me," she sneered as she dove for the gun in his hand.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha bolted from his spot and went to wrestle Naraku to the floor. He motioned to Sesshoumaru to get the gun out of his hand, but had found Sess was already going for it. "Naraku, you have the right to remain silent," he started to read him his rights, ignoring the sound of the door pounding in, and the army of police officers surrounding Naraku and his goons.

The chaos of the crime scene carried on for another hour as Hakodoushi, Kagura, Kohaku and Naraku were cuffed and escorted to different police vehicles outside, and the statements were taken by all involved. Kagome surveyed the scene around her as the last police car took off down the street. Sesshoumaru had taken his leave after his statement was taken, which was fine by her. Even though he had helped save her life, she was still nervous around him. There was something cold and unfeeling about his demeanor.

"Are you okay, grandpa?" she asked her grandfather, handing both him and Inuyasha a cup of tea. While Inuyasha's co-workers had returned to the station, he told them he was going to hang back and finish up here. Finishing up here to him meant he was going to make sure everybody was okay. He also wanted to speak with Kagome to see where they were going to stand after this. He didn't want whatever they had to end just because the case was solved. Hopefully she felt the same way too.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Hiroshi Higurashi waved his hands in dismissal, letting his granddaughter know that he didn't need to be babied. "You took a big risk today coming today though. I'm old; I've lived a full and rich life. You have so many years yet," he lectured. "If it meant letting you live a full and rich life too, I'd have let that bastard cut me down before I'd ever let him near you."

"Oh grandpa, you know I couldn't leave you. I have a question though."

"The Shikon no Tama," he confirmed.

"Yes. Naraku was so certain that I know how to find it, but I haven't a clue as to where to start looking."

"It's in you."

"Pardon?" she asked, stunned.

"The Shikon no Tama is inside you."

"You mean I have a jewel somewhere in my body?" She started panicking at the thought. "How come nobody's ever seen it in any x-rays, how would it get in there?"

"Relax girl," Hiroshi laughed. "There is no jewel, it doesn't exist, there's no physical manifestation. That part is just legend. But it's still inside of you. Why is it called the jewel of the four souls?"

"Because there are four souls within the jewel, each representing something different. Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama and Sakimitama."

"That's right. Courage. Friendship. Wisdom. Love. You, Kagome, have all four of those inside of you, that's why you're the holder of the Shikon no Tama. It's the force that drives you to be who you are."

She sat there silently, contemplating it.

"I can see it," Inuyasha finally spoke up, after taking everything in. "Courage. You had a gun to your head today and you fought it. You didn't fight it because you were scared, you fought it because you didn't want Naraku to win."

"Friendship," her grandfather continued. "You've got that all around you, you've always had it. Nobody had to try very hard to become your friend. Look at Inuyasha, you just met him but I can tell already that you two are more than mere acquaintances."

"Wisdom," Hiroshi said. "You've spent the last several years learning everything you can about the Shikon jewel. Forget the jewel though, your very career alone, the fact that you want to produce documentaries shows a thirst for knowledge."

"And your calm persona throughout the whole ordeal," Inuyasha added. "You didn't freak out like most women did. You sat down, you analyzed the situation, and you worked out a way that you can help best. It most definitely takes wisdom to do that."

Her grandfather concluded the comparison. "And love. That is perhaps the strongest one of all. You walked into a den of lions today to keep me safe, and then you faced said lions to keep your brother safe. If that's not love, then I don't know what is." Hiroshi glanced over at Inuyasha. "And if I'm not mistaken, you're about to start a new journey in life, one that could very well end with a different form of love."

Kagome glanced sharply at Inuyasha, nearly melting at the soft look in his eyes, and the small file. Yes, she could very well end up on a new journey toward a new love. And she was looking forward to it.

"I guess it is there," she said with a smile, pleased with this new understanding. "It's weird though, knowing that it's something that I can't hold or use, not that I would use it."

"It'll be an interesting angle to look at for your documentary," Inuyasha stood up and reached across for Kagome. "Come on, you can analyze it later. Let your grandfather rest, it's been trying for him today."

"Hm-hmm," she was already digesting the information. "Come on, let's go home."

FIN

* * *

That's it! I hope you enjoyed the story. Hopefully soon I'll get to work on Day Girl again, but I'm still blocked on it. I know where I want to end up, it's just getting there is the problem. I'm also working on something else, a Sess/Kag challenge I took up, so look for that sometime soon.


End file.
